[9] Colonel Charles C. Van, Moses H. Deming, Hadley D. Johnson and Marshall Townsley incorporated the St. James-Minnesota Ferry Co. on February 10, 1857 to provide transport from there across the Missouri River to what was then Minnesota Territory.

Townsley, a shareholder, sold part of his interest to Gates P. Thurston, who arrived from Dayton, Ohio in the spring of 1857 and is credited with laying out the original townsite with hopes of its eventually becoming Nebraska's state capital.

[10] Thurston, who became Cedar County’s 1st Judge, built a 1-1/2 story log building, intended to be a courthouse, near this site.

[12] By 1860 St. James had a population of 50[12][13] which, according to that year's federal census, included a merchant, carpenter, blacksmith, engineer, mechanic, minister, and lawyer as head of household.

[5][14] St. James Post Office, established July 13, 1858,[3][11] was initially located in the pocket of whoever was postmaster at the time[14] but soon was situated in Old St.

[3][12] An 1869 vote that moved the county seat to St. Helena[4][14][11] and a failed attempt in 1876 for rail service[12] curtailed Old St. James' growth.

[4] A 2nd attempt for rail service to Old St. James occurred in 1906 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad was asked to extend its line from nearby Newcastle.